The landmark hotel's fine dining restaurant turns off the lights for a romantic, planet-nice evening.

Published Mar 11, 2015 at 8:35 AM

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The Hotel del Coronado observes Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28 with a special candles-only evening at 1500 Ocean, the property's fine dining restaurant.

FLICKER ALL AROUND: It isn't all that unusual to enter a well-appointed hotel dining room and spy a few votives here and there, candles gently flickering in the center of each cozy two- and four-top table. But seeing only that flicker, and not the house lights above, or hanging lamps, is rather more unusual. What's happening? Are you in the most romantic restaurant in the world? Is there an outage? Does the restaurant know a great candlemaker in the area?

OR IS IT EARTH HOUR, the all-over-the-glove happening that encourages people to shut down the electricity for sixty minutes, all to raise awareness about issues of sustainability, resources, and the large part every person plays in the greater fabric. And while families and individuals do and will mark the hour at home -- that hour in 2015, by the by, is from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 -- a number of businesses around California will also observe the event, including several hotels.

HOTEL DEL CORONADO... will play a part in the Earth Hour event with a special candlelit dinner at 1500 Ocean. Calling it a "charming night-long event" that will reach beyond that single hour, the 1500 Ocean dinner will be about dining with the lights off and several local ingredients on the plates and in the glasses. (Wines shall hail from Benziger Family Winery, a vineyard committed to sustainable methods.) For sure, the dining room won't be completely dark -- there are windows that look out and candles shall rule -- but it might one of the more low-lit suppers you'll ever have out in a restaurant.

MORE INFO: Want to dig deeper on Earth Hour, whether you're observing the sixty minutes of non-electrical-light (and the larger ideas represented within) at home or a hotel? Grab a candle and walk this way.